A many a birds with one stone
The masque of the grey love
It was an ordinary day in Ponyville and Dinky Doo was prancing to Sugarcube Corner to spend the bits her mother gave her for being so cute.
“I can’t wait till I get there!” she said in her adorable voice. “I can’t wait for a milkshake!”
Eventfully she arrived at the store just in time to see Pinkie Pie balancing on a beach ball.
“Hi Dinky!” said Pinkie doing a twirl off the ball. “Wheee!”
“Hello miss Pinkie!” said Dinky to the party pony. “Nice twirl.”
“Thanks, Gummy how much did I get? Gummy?” said Pinkie looking for her judge. “Where is that little gu-oh-oh!” she said when her senses activated. “My Pinkie sense is tingling!”
“What's wrong!” said Dinky putting herself under Pinkie. “Is mommy delivering heavy packages again?!”
“Nope,” giggled Pinkie. “I get a runny nose when that happens. This time I have a wrinkly tail, which means Gummy is in Rarity's-”
“Ahhhhh!” screamed a high pitched voice originating from Rarity's home.
“-toilet! See ya,” said Pinkie rushing off to get her alligator.
“Okay!” said Dinky giggling at the mares antics. “Well better see what to get today,” she said heading into the pastry shop.
The store was in a ruckus today with the sound of giggling from two little foals.
“Now Pumpkin but the whisker down for mommy, no don’t wave it around in my face,” said Mrs. Cake cornered by her giggling daughter with a whisk being pointed at her. “Carrot! I need some help!”
“Mrs. Cake?” said Dinky hiding from the baby in fear of being whisked. “Should I call the doctor again?” she said knowing the doctor spoke baby.
“No need dearie,” said Mrs. Cake ducking from the dough being flung from the whisk. “Carrot!”
“Coming blueberry!,” said Mr. Cake coming down the stair before rushing behind his daughter. “Sorry honey, didn’t want to do this,” he said before tickling Pumpkin causing her to lose her concentration and instead started laughing loudly. “Coochie coochie goo,” Mr. Cake said before noticing Dinky. “Oh hi Dinky, Dinky?”
Dinky just stared at the father and daughter before shaking her head. “What?”
“Do you need something?”
“Oh yeah, umm, could I have a strawberry milkshake please?” said Dinky.
“Oh yeah let me just go help Cupcake, mind holding Pumpkin for a moment?”
“Sure!” said Dinky excited when she was handed the foal.
“Ogahah, fhfopgt” said Pumpkin with a line of drool.
“I don’t know why, but I’m jealous of you,” said Dinky hugging the foal.
After paying for her milkshake, Dinky trotted back to her house while noticing a bunch of other foals playing with their fathers.
“Dad!” shouted Button Mash.
“Yes?” said Cinnamon Swirl.
“Can I borrow your mustache?” said Button with a huge smile.
“Well, why not!” Swirl said beforw being tackled by his hugging son while he just laughed.
“Hmmm,” thought Dinky to herself.
“Daddy!” shouted Sweetie Belle to her father, Hondo Flanks.
“What wrong Sweetie?” said Hondo polishing his hoofball trophy..
“Can I borrow your mustache collection?” said Sweetie Belle. “Please?”
“Now Sweetie you know-” Hondo stopped at the sight of Sweetie Belle with puppy eyes. “Of course you can!”
“Thanks daddy,” said Sweetie Belle hugging her father.
“Hmmm,” thought Dinky. “Well mommy and me hug a lot already.”
“Daddy!” whined Diamond Tiara. “Can I please have that train set?” she said pointing at a toy shop window.
“Of course princess,” said Filthy Rich trotting inside with his daughter.
“Mommy and her friends already buy me a lot of toys,” thought Dinky trotting to her porch. “But still..”
“Mommy?” said Dinky laying beside her mother on their couch while Derpy watched Muffin Wars.
“Yes muffin?” said Derpy pressing record. “What is it?”
“Where’s my daddy?”
“Oh is tha-wait your daddy?” said Derpy taking a gulp. “Well ,umm, why do wanna know?”
“Everybody else has one and I don’t,” said Dinky with a pout. “Why is that? I know Ametyst doesn’t have the same daddy but who was mine?”
“Umm, well, you see your father was a-a,” said Derpy. “Umm, how about I make you some muffins after you take a bath
“Okie dokey!” said Dinky jumping off the couch. “And then we can talk about daddy!”
After Dinky left the room Derpy was about to start sniffling when a voice was heard behind her.
“Derpy,” said Carrot Top with pity in her voice before hugging her friend while she sobbed into her chest. “Shh, it’s alright.”
Suddenly the front door opened to the sound of a stallion.
“Derpy I was just passing-what’s wrong?” said Time Turner at the sight of the crying mare.
“Not now Time,” said Carrot with a glare.
“N-no it’s alright, I think it might help to tell somepony else,” said Derpy leaning on the couch side, sniffling while Carrot just rubbed her back.
“Tell me what?” said Time not knowing what's going on.
“The story of Dinkys father,” said Derpy.
“And Amethyst’s?” said Time.
“No, he d-died many years ago,” said Derpy with a sniff.
“Oh, sorry,” said Time rubbing his head.
“It’s alright, I loved him but I guess diseases didn’t,” said Derpy with a dark chuckle. “But I moved on from him and m-met someone else.”
It was seven years ago, I was making a delivery to a noble in Canterlot when I met...him.
“Hello,” I said to a butler of a fancy manor. “I have a delivery for a Mr. Sunny Day Pike?”
“Yes, I’ll take that,” the butler said in a airy trottingham accent. “Let me get your pay-huh? Oh good morning sir,” he said to an elderly looking yellow stallion pegasus.
“Morning Silver Tray and who is our guest at the door?” said the stallion.
“A simple postmare master Pike,” said Silver Tray. “I was just paying her to go awa-”
“Nonsense! Come in my dear,” Pike said waving his hoof for me to come in.
“I’m sorry sir but I have to get ba-mmmm, are those lemon drop muffins I smell!” I said.
“Why yes they are,” said Pike holding one up to my muzzle. “And they are all yours if you come inside and-whoah!” he said as I rushed in.
“Mmmmm, tasty!” I said nomming on the muffin.
“I see your a muffin liker,” said Pike with a chuckle. “Hmmm, say miss Doo?”
I gasped at the mention of my name. “How did you know my name!?”
“It’s sewed on your outfit,” Pike said as pointed at my name tag.
“Oh,” I said blushing. “What do you need Mr. Pike?”
“I happen to be going to a masquerade ball tonight, and I was wondering if you would like to come?” he said getting a muffin. “I have a mask ready for a plus one.”
“I don’t know,” I said wiping some crumbs from my muzzle. “I mean I don’t know what my boss-”
“Don’t worry,” said Pike with a shrug. “I have a lot of pull in the mail service.”
“Well, are you sure it would be alright?” I said still hesitant. “I don’t want to intrude but if you really want me to I can probably stay for a little-”
“Fantastic!” shouted Pike trotting upstairs to get the masks. “Relax for a while and I’ll go get the masks.”
While he went upstairs I layed down on the couch and looked at the enormous mansion I was in. The whole house was covered in exotic souvenirs from foreign lands and the most noticeable thing was a huge painting above the fireplace mantle with a picture of a slightly younger looking Mr. Pike dressed in a fine suit with a prideful grin on himself and three much younger pegasus with the oldest looking being a mare who was smirking while a young stallion stood next to her with a blank face, underneath Mr. Pike was an adorable yellow filly with her arms hugging Mr. Pike, the filly had a look on her that stuck me familiar.
“Beautiful aren’t they?” said Pike startling me not only due to him being dressed up in a cloak with a mask of bright bronze on his muzzle and feathers sticking out of it giving him the appearance of an ancient warrior. “No need to be afraid it’s only me, what do you think of my amaponian costume?”
“It’s very...authentic,” I said with a stifled giggle. “Say who are these other ponies with you in this picture?”
“Aww, these are my grandfoals, I’d tell you about them but we really must get going,” Pike said taking out a box from behind him. “Here’s your outfit.”
If you had seen me before the party you would not have recognized me at all, we rode to the party as I sat dressed in a magnificent dress of black and gold seams that covered my entire body including my flank hiding my cutie mark (Pike said a game they played each year was to guess who was who behind each mask), the mask I was given looked similar to that of a raven with its black feathers flapping in the air rushing past the carriage giving it the illusion of that of a real bird.
“So,” spoke Pike breaking the silence. “Have you ever been to a masquerade before?”
“Do Nightmare Night parties count?” I said with a blush.
“I suppose in a sense,” said Pike blowing a bubble from his pipe. “The difference this time is however the party costumes are not meant to scare but rather entertain the fellow partygoers.”
“Then why does that stallion have a monstrous rat head as a mask?” I said pointing at a party goer who was trotting thru the street.
“Well I never said the nobles don’t like a good scare now and then,” chuckled Pike. “Speaking of noble I think we’re almost there, look.”
I looked outside the carriages side window to the sight of Canterlot Castle in all it’s shining glory with crowds of ponies,zebras,griffons and other species all heading inside the huge marble archways, with the sound of parties and music playing loudly while other citizens clambered in as well.
“Amazing isn’t it?” said Pike as the carriage stopped. I couldn’t even speak as I stared at the bright lights before me and the crowds of masked creatures. “Well don’t just sit there and watch, come on!” he said grabbing me and dragging me out to the awaiting castle.
“Mother of Celestia!” I said at the sight of the inside of the castle. I heard legends of Canterlot Castle, of how the halls were shiny and the fridge always filled with cake but the legends did no justice for this place! The floor of the castle was like that of a chess board with each ebony square causing the viewer to look deep into the pitch blackness that would cause one to be lost if not for the ivory colored squares next to them bringing one back up, the walls were covered in paintings and banners along with multiple stained glass windows with different events from Equestria history presenting themselves to the present. This happened in a room filled to the brim with ponies, griffons, zebras, minotaurs, and foreign dignitaries from far off lands, all dressed up in a variety of masks and costumes (which covered their identifiable parts) ranging from utterly grotesque to absolutely beautiful. This all took place under a glass ceiling in the shape of a plus sign.
“Amazing isn’t it? said Pike. “Well I gotta go see some friends of mine, we’ll meet back here in a bit.”
“Ah huh,” I said not paying attention. “Wait what!?” I shouted but by then Pike had disappeared into the crowd. “Okay Derpy,” I mumbled to myself. “It’s alright just-eep!” I shouted feeling somepony pinch my flank.
“Well hello hot stuff,” said the rat masked stallion. “How about we head somewhere quiet and “chat” if you get my drift.”
“Uh, no thanks,” I said trotting away only for the stallion to grab my arm.
“Come on it’ll be fun,” he said with a devious smirk.
“No thank you,” I said trying to squirm out. “Please let me go.”
“Oh, I think you’ll come with-”
“Excuse me!” said a deep male voice. “The lady said let her go.”
Looking at the source of the voice my mind went blank as I stared at the stallion coming to my aid. He was dressed up in a white cloak and a mask of pure gold sat upon his muzzle concealing his face from the upper lip up. I could make out a white coat, upon his head sat a red tricorn hat with a purple ribbon circling it and a white horn identifying the stallion as a unicorn.
“What do you want bub?!” snarled the stallion letting me go but tumbling over.
“I suggest you take that tone of yours somewhere else before you regret it,” said the cloaked stallion towering over the smaller stallion.
“Uh, fine,” grumbled the stallion. “Plenty of other flank out here,” he said galloping off into the crowd.
“Are you alright?” said the cloaked stallion helping me up. “He didn’t hurt you did he?”
“No, I’m alright,” I said staring at my savior. “I appreciate the help.”
“No need to thank me miss,” said the cloaked stallion with a bow. “A gentlecolt always helps a lady.”
I blushed at this remark. “Why thank you, say do you want to get something to eat? It’s the least I could do.”
“Sure,” he said with a smile. “I think there is a muffin table-woah!” he shouted as I grabbed him and made a beeline for the table.
“Oh my!” I said at the sight of the muffins. “There are so many!”
“Umm, miss if you would excuse me,” said the cloaked stallion. “I must use the lavatory, I’ll be back soon.” But I was too immersed in the muffins to notice him leave. After a few minutes of muffin eating I saw a spectacular muffin in the middle of the table, bending over to pick it up my hoof touched a white hoof. Looking up I saw the muffin was being touched by the cloaked stallion, blushing I put my hoof away expecting him to take it, but to my surprise he merely gave it to me.
“I see you like regal berry,” said the cloaked stallion with his deep voice. “A fine choice for a fine lady.”
“Why thank you,” I said blushing. “I didn't know you liked muffins.”
“Who doesn’t?” said the cloaked stallion chuckling. “Not me!”
I chuckled at this before getting an idea. “Say would you like to go for a quick trot?” I asked wanting to talk to this stallion more privately.
“I don’t see why not,” he said as we started to trot outside.
We talked about our lives (without revealing our names and our friends names) and how I was a mailpony and he was apparently a politician. We also learned that we both shared a fanatic love of foreign muffins and even had a muffin recipe collection.
“I must say miss,” the cloaked stallion said returning from another bathroom break (with another glass of wine). “I didn’t know you had such a good sense of geography.”
“Well you have to when you're in my line of work,” I laughed drinking some wine. “Say, mind if I use the restroom real quick?”
“Of course,” said the cloaked stallion. “I’ll wait for you here and then we can watch the fireworks.”
I trotted down the back lawn and looked for a restroom that had no line in it, looking at a map for tours I saw that there was one in the tulip garden. So after trotting a while I stopped when I heard a noise.
“Well,well,” said a familiar voice. “If it isn’t the tart who didn’t give me some flank.”
Turning around I saw the stallion who had hit on me earlier.
“W-what do you want?” I said going back against a wall.
“Oh nothing just this,” he said before forcing his lips onto my muzzle.
“Mphh!” I screamed trying to get away only for him to grab me tighter.
“Oh I’m gonna enjoy this!” he growled picking up my dress.
Just when I thought the unthinkable would happen I heard the voice of the deep cloaked stallion.
“Hey you bucker!” he shouted.
“What do you want-ahh!” the stallion said before being hit square in the face by the cloaked stallion. “Screw this,” he said before galloping off.
All of a sudden before the cloaked stallion could give chase, Pike arrived with a group of guards.
“What’s going on?!” he shouted. “I heard a scream and-Ditzy!(we agreed on using my middle name for cover) Are you alright?!” he said helping me up.
“I’m fine,” I said with a wobble of my legs. “If this stallion here had not saved me I would have been hurt by my would be rapist.”
“What!?” said Pike with a growl. “Sir stallion did you happen to see where this villain went!?”
“Yes,” said the cloaked stallion. “I believe he went that way,” he said pointing off into the night.
“Thank you,” said Pike. “Ditzy you head back inside while me and the guards chase down this offender,” he said before he and his garrison charged off into the direction of the would be rapist.
After a few moments the cloaked stallion spoke up, “I’m sorry you had to experience this miss Ditzy.”
“It’s alright,” I said with a sniffle. “Lets just head back inside.”
After awhile I stopped crying and started enjoying myself again with the stallion, at one point when he went to get a sandwich and upon returning he seemed a bit worried for e than he had been a few moments ago. He said they found a rat masked stallion in a alley way just outside the castle with a bloody body but still breathing, all I said was “Shut up,” with a dreamy smile before taking us to a closet I saw earlier.
“Are you sure about this?” the cloaked stallion said uncloaking.
To this day I know in my heart that this was what I wanted….to be honest I was gonna do it before the attack anyway. “Just shut up and kiss me!” I said tackling him as I reached for his-
“Derpy!” said Carrot Top while Time was sobbing from the story.
“What?” said Derpy.
“I think we can skip a bit on those details,” Carrot said with a blush.
After he had done his first “business” I told him I had to use the restroom, so picking myself up I scurried to the bathroom and upon my leaving I saw the cloaked stallion (we had no lights in the closet so I don’t know what he looked like still).
“There you are,” he said with a worried expression. “I was looking all over-oomph!” I kissed him and tackled him into another closest before continuing where we left off.
After doing the deed we were about to reveal ourselves to each other when he said something.
“I-I have to go,” he said to me putting his mask latch back on.
“What again?” I said with a giggle.
“No I mean-I’m sorry,” he said before galloping away.
I looked for him everywhere but soon the guards started clearing pones out after the fireworks so I met up with Pike with a broken heart.
“What’s wrong Derpy?” said Pike with a sympathetic smile. “Didn’t you have fun?”
“I did,” I said with a sad look as I looked out to the crowd of ponies heading home. “I did.”
A few weeks later I started to experience vomit and nausea so Carrot Top, you took me to the hospital; and the staff diagnosed I was experiencing morning sickness: I was pregnant. On the day that my little muffin was born I stared into her sleeping eyes and knew what I would call her.
“Dinky,” I said to her as the gentle breathing of my body went up and down. “I will always love you my little muffin."
“And that’s how I met Dinky’s father,” said Derpy as Carrot Top handed her and Time Turner another tissue.
“T-that’s so sad!” wailed Time. “Did you ever see the stallion again?”
“No and to this day-huh?” Derpy said hearing the sound of damp trots coming down the stairs. “Dinky I think it’s time you learned about your fa-huh?” she said as she was wrapped up by the neck by a pair of tiny hooves.
“I don’t care!” said Dinky with a smile.
“Huh!?” said the three adults.
“But Dinky, you seemed so focused on learning about your dad,” said Carrot.
“Why don’t you want to know?” said Time Turner who even himself was confused.
“I learned,” said Dinky turning to her mother. “That I don’t need a father when I got the best uncle,” she said pointing at a blushing Time. “The best aunt,” she said to a teary eyed Carrot Top. “The best sister,” she said pointing at a picture of her Ameyest. “And most importantly the best mommy in the whole wide world,” she said as she hugged her mother.
Derpy couldn’t even speak and when she finally did she reaffirmed that vow she made years ago. “Dinky,” she whispered as she hugged her daughter. “I’ll always love you my little muffin.”
In an luxury apartment in the city of Canterlot, Prince Blueblood stared at the sight of his dessert, a foreign muffin before with a sad sigh he spoke, “I always love you miss, I always will.”
In a house on the other side of the city sat Fancypants on a balcony while his dear marefriend Fleur slept soundly in their bed. “I’ll always love you Fluer,” he whispered. “And I’ll always love you miss,” he said heading back to bed.
